Analysis of "Landscape Painter, Jamaica" by Vivian Virtue

Overview

• The poem admires the famous Jamaican painter Albert Huie.
• The poet describes the process and the scene as a living entity, ready to be captured by the painter.

Stanza by Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1

• Mood: Awe and calmness.
• Imagery: The painter sets up an easel, reflecting the free spirit of painting.
• Tone: Reflects freedom and calmness.

Stanza 2

• Imagery: The painter's brush is compared to a hummingbird.
  • Quick movements, vibrant colors, akin to a hummingbird's flight between flowers.
• Metaphors: Use words like "tireless" and "darts" to communicate quickness.

Stanza 3

• Personification: The landscape is portrayed as cooperating with the painter.
• Imagery: Mountains as dignified and self-conscious; hills as small grandchildren.
• Description: Conveys the prominence of mountains against the sky.

Stanza 4

• Focus: The painter's meticulous nature, waiting for the perfect moment.
• Personification: Mountains prepared for the "family album" - metaphor for the painting canvas.

Stanza 5

• Repetition: The hummingbird metaphor returns, relating to Jamaica's emblem.
• Imagery: The painter’s detailed work, the "fidgeting" hills, reflecting the painter’s perspective.

Figurative Devices

Simile

• Example: "Grandchildren about the knees."

Imagery

• Examples:
  • "On corner of the Twisted climbing mountain track."
  • "Dips, darts, now here, now there."
  • "Puzzles of pigment bloom in the pallet's wild small garden."

Metaphor

• Example: "Tireless hummingbird, his brush."

Personification

• Examples:
  • "The mountains pose for him."
  • "The little Hills fidgeting."
  • "Sprawl grandchildren about the knees."

Themes

• Nature: The interconnectedness and beauty of the Jamaican landscape in art.

Additional Resources

• Read More for further analysis and context.